International Journal of Cultic Studies ■ Vol. 1, No. 1, 2010 11
morning but I realise it’s getting late, so I will
be brief in highlighting a few key findings.
In a large overall sample of more than 567
former members, we have found significant
relationships between EGIS and GPA, and
between EGIS and measures of depression (the
Beck Depression Inventory), dissociation (the
Hopkins dissociation screen), and anxiety (the
Symptom Checklist 90 Revised Global Severity
Index, Derogatis, et al.). This data indicates that
the extent of identity—the level of category
accessibility, how totalistic the identity is—
predicts levels of depression and dissociation
afterward for the former members. It is
important to note that these are the first and
significant quantitative results of their kind, ever
in the world, to show that real-life ex-members
of real-life groups might have the type of social
psychological structure that Totalistic Identity
Theory predicts, and with clinical symptoms that
are predicted as the corollary of such a cognitive
structure.
Furthermore, we have reported significant
treatment effects, from intake to discharge, for
both depression and dissociation—the
Wellspring treatment works for this population.
A final twist that I must share with you is that
the treatment effect appears to hold only for that
part of the psychopathology that relates to the
extent of former group identity. Analysis of
covariance reveals that if you take out that part
of the variance that is shared between EGIS and
depression (the relationship), then the treatment
effect on the depression disappears. The same is
true for dissociation. What this further indicates,
then, is that there is a specific group-related
psychopathology that responds to the group-
related treatment programme. The group-related
psychopathology emerges then—again, for the
first time, as a quantifiable outcome of this
research. These results simultaneously rest on
and back up the emergence of a theory of
totalistic identity as an explanation in social
psychological terms for the specific type of
psychopathology that results, for some people,
from these specific types of group settings.
In conclusion, then, where does all this get us?
Perhaps closer to an understanding of how
normal cognitive processes of categorisation can
go awry of how the normal formation of
psychological groups and movement between
them in terms of psychological salience can
become restricted and dominated on one specific
identity that is extreme within the frame of
reference. What I haven’t had time to address in
detail tonight within this field of research is how
the most dangerous cults and extremist terror
groups occupy a highly polarised position within
the social context that exists psychologically as
the person’s dominant self-identity, as a very
clearly defined and extreme us-and-them
categorisation.
The type of research I have outlined this
evening, and the emerging theory of totalistic
identity offer the possibility of a greater
understanding of how individuals are
psychologically drawn and converted to
extremist groups and cults and they offer
possible remedies and approaches to prevent that
from happening. They also give us insights into
how we can intervene to depolarise and intrude
cognitively into the totalistic identity structure of
cult or extremist group members. They offer
hope to a path to recovery, to show that a
tailored treatment programme is specifically
effective with this type of group-induced
psychopathology: We need more Wellsprings—
including one in the UK!
It is striking, too, to observe how the normal
processes of deductive reasoning can, if
unchecked, lead to the kind of extremist identity
structures that can do so much harm to so many.
It is clear then that no one is born a cult member
or a terrorist—some may be more vulnerable to
developing this identity structure, but no one is
immune. So is there a psychological vaccine to
protect us from such a pathology? Perhaps it is
part of us already: the ability to use inductive
reasoning, to search carefully for answers, to not
jump to conclusions, to be reflexive about
identifications and prejudices—and, to quote
Herb Rosedale again, to ensure that our
“judgements should rest on careful analyses of
structure and behaviour within a specific
context, rather than superficial classification.”
I am not saying this evening that people should
not be able to make mistakes, to join groups and
believe things that I believe to be ridiculous and
morning but I realise it’s getting late, so I will
be brief in highlighting a few key findings.
In a large overall sample of more than 567
former members, we have found significant
relationships between EGIS and GPA, and
between EGIS and measures of depression (the
Beck Depression Inventory), dissociation (the
Hopkins dissociation screen), and anxiety (the
Symptom Checklist 90 Revised Global Severity
Index, Derogatis, et al.). This data indicates that
the extent of identity—the level of category
accessibility, how totalistic the identity is—
predicts levels of depression and dissociation
afterward for the former members. It is
important to note that these are the first and
significant quantitative results of their kind, ever
in the world, to show that real-life ex-members
of real-life groups might have the type of social
psychological structure that Totalistic Identity
Theory predicts, and with clinical symptoms that
are predicted as the corollary of such a cognitive
structure.
Furthermore, we have reported significant
treatment effects, from intake to discharge, for
both depression and dissociation—the
Wellspring treatment works for this population.
A final twist that I must share with you is that
the treatment effect appears to hold only for that
part of the psychopathology that relates to the
extent of former group identity. Analysis of
covariance reveals that if you take out that part
of the variance that is shared between EGIS and
depression (the relationship), then the treatment
effect on the depression disappears. The same is
true for dissociation. What this further indicates,
then, is that there is a specific group-related
psychopathology that responds to the group-
related treatment programme. The group-related
psychopathology emerges then—again, for the
first time, as a quantifiable outcome of this
research. These results simultaneously rest on
and back up the emergence of a theory of
totalistic identity as an explanation in social
psychological terms for the specific type of
psychopathology that results, for some people,
from these specific types of group settings.
In conclusion, then, where does all this get us?
Perhaps closer to an understanding of how
normal cognitive processes of categorisation can
go awry of how the normal formation of
psychological groups and movement between
them in terms of psychological salience can
become restricted and dominated on one specific
identity that is extreme within the frame of
reference. What I haven’t had time to address in
detail tonight within this field of research is how
the most dangerous cults and extremist terror
groups occupy a highly polarised position within
the social context that exists psychologically as
the person’s dominant self-identity, as a very
clearly defined and extreme us-and-them
categorisation.
The type of research I have outlined this
evening, and the emerging theory of totalistic
identity offer the possibility of a greater
understanding of how individuals are
psychologically drawn and converted to
extremist groups and cults and they offer
possible remedies and approaches to prevent that
from happening. They also give us insights into
how we can intervene to depolarise and intrude
cognitively into the totalistic identity structure of
cult or extremist group members. They offer
hope to a path to recovery, to show that a
tailored treatment programme is specifically
effective with this type of group-induced
psychopathology: We need more Wellsprings—
including one in the UK!
It is striking, too, to observe how the normal
processes of deductive reasoning can, if
unchecked, lead to the kind of extremist identity
structures that can do so much harm to so many.
It is clear then that no one is born a cult member
or a terrorist—some may be more vulnerable to
developing this identity structure, but no one is
immune. So is there a psychological vaccine to
protect us from such a pathology? Perhaps it is
part of us already: the ability to use inductive
reasoning, to search carefully for answers, to not
jump to conclusions, to be reflexive about
identifications and prejudices—and, to quote
Herb Rosedale again, to ensure that our
“judgements should rest on careful analyses of
structure and behaviour within a specific
context, rather than superficial classification.”
I am not saying this evening that people should
not be able to make mistakes, to join groups and
believe things that I believe to be ridiculous and
